Florida vs. Florida A&M: Preview, Info, Where to Watch and More

The Florida Gators (1-1) return to the hardwood on Tuesday evening to take on the visiting Florida A&M Rattlers (0-2).

Freshly removed from a narrow loss to Virginia, the Gators hope to use this bout with the in-state opponent to get back in the win column while reconciling some of the struggles they've endured through two games before Florida State heads to Gainesville on Friday.

You can find everything you need to know about the matchup below, including an in-depth rundown of the contest.

Florida Gators vs. Florida A&M Rattlers

Where: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, Gainesville, Fla.

When: Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. ET

Watch: SEC Network+/ESPN+

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD | The Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 385 & SXM App

Odds: Florida is considered a 34.5-point favorite over FAMU, according to SI Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 144.5 points.

Series history: The Gators hold a 12-0 record against the Rattlers. Florida routed FAMU 102-62 inside the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in the last contest between the two programs last season. The game was the last time Florida eclipsed the 100-point mark.

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The rundown

Following a narrow loss to the Virginia Cavaliers on Friday, in which Florida had a chance to win late if not for two straight late-game blunders, the Gators strive to get back on track Tuesday as they play host to the Florida A&M Rattlers.

To do so, UF will need to do more than win. It will need to reconcile some of its issues.

Through two games, the Gators have struggled to close out on perimeter shooters and take care of the basketball. In game one against Loyola Maryland, Florida's evident talent advantage allowed them to overcome the blunders.

However, that wasn't the case in Charlotte against Virginia on Friday.

The issues remained, and despite its best efforts to overcome an 11-point second-half deficit — showcasing its improvement from a season ago — the team fell short of a monumental November victory.

As a result, instilling confidence back into the unit as a whole with a resounding victory over FAMU, in which the team shows steps forward on the defensive end and in ball security — will be paramount.

However, it's not just a team-wide effort. Regaining belief on an individual level will be another focal point to ensure the effects of the early-season challenge don't linger.

Namely, Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. — who accounted for both turnovers on the Gators' final two possessions to ultimately squander UF's chance of knocking off UVA — will be tasked with forgetting about the poor late-game sequence.

He showcased promising ball-handling skills throughout his career at Iona — even against Power Six programs — and maintained the moniker of a multi-faceted floor general throughout his intrasquad play this offseason.

The talent even flashed against Virginia, as he accounted for 12 points, four rebounds and a team-high five assists. But his five turnovers proved detrimental.

Immediately following the loss on Friday, Golden affirmed his belief in the guard to bounce back, taking from the positives and learning from the negatives.

"I think he and the rest of the guys are pretty upset," Golden stated postgame. "This is a game we were looking forward to, and we fell a little short. But the staff, the team, loves him and we're really confident in him as we move forward."

The return of guard Zyon Pullin, serving a three-game suspension to begin the 2023-24 campaign, is expected to also take some weight off his — and Riley Kugel's — shoulders in the backcourt, Golden said.

"We're asking a lot of him right now," Golden continued regarding Clayton. "He played 35 minutes for us, all on the ball. When [Zyon Pullin] gets back next week, it's going to take a little pressure off the rest of our backcourt and allow him to take some of those minutes and allow those guys to rest a little bit.

"But these guys, Riley and Walt played 35 each. They didn't have their best games, but I thought they stepped up in the second half. We went down 11, and that was another moment — 'What are we going to be made of?' — and we came back with a 12-0 run to take the lead. So that was something we were proud about as well. Super disappointed that we lost, but I'm confident in this team and really excited for the rest of our season."

The rest of Florida's season begins on Tuesday inside Exactech Arena against the FAMU Rattlers.

Robert McCullum's squad has opened the year enduring a gauntlet of opponents as it's hit the road to take on Creighton, Nebraska and now Florida. They'll play host to Oregon on Monday to round out the four-game stretch of Power Six opponents.

In those appearances, the Rattlers have expectedly struggled to combat the early-season challenges, scoring just 54 points in each game while allowing 105 and 81, respectively.

Freshman guard K'Jei Parker has served as a bright spot for the unit in the lopsided losses, though, compiling 12.5 points and 2.5 assists per game to lead the unit's offensive production. But, it hasn't proven enough to provide any resistance in their first two contests.

On Tuesday, FAMU will operate at a considerable size disadvantage against Florida, with no player standing above 6-foot-10 on the roster. Seven-footer Micah Handlogten and 6-foot-10 forward Tyrese Samuel are anticipated to be key cogs in the team's game plan on both ends of the floor as a result.

A complete, dominant outing — which consists of a consistent approach from the tip to the final buzzer and growth in the areas needing improvement — will be Florida's goal in game three of the 2023-24 campaign.

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